SRINAGAR: Masrat Alam booked for unlawful activities

SRINAGAR: After being controversially released from jail, separatist leader Masrat Alam was booked on Wednesday in Srinagar for ‘unlawful activities’ but was not arrested.

An uptown Hyderpora locality of Srinagar city was gathered with people to welcome hardline senior separatist leader Syed Ali Geelani who returned to the Valley on Wednesday after remaining in New Delhi during winter for health reasons. Alam was a part of a procession being held there and was flanked by youth, who raised anti-India slogans and displayed Pakistan flags. The slogans uttered by the group were pro-Pakistan and pro-freedom.

“An FIR has been lodged against Masrat Alam under the unlawful activities act in a local police station and law will definitely take its course following the filing of the FIR,” a senior police official told IANS.

However, the police have not arrested Alam as of now.

The release of Masrat Alam was ordered by Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Muhammad Sayeed last month immediately after he took over the post in J&K.

The decision from Sayeed had attracted massive criticism from both the Opposition and his ruling ally Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The move even created a storm in Parliament in New Delhi where the Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh had to make a statement to cool tempers over the top separatist leader’s release.